Happy Birthday, Jackie!

Year one, check!  We are so excited to be celebrating Jackie's first birthday today and thankful for all the friends and family who helped us make it through a very interesting and challenging time in our lives!  It's been humbling to receive so much love from other people.

Jackie's not really a baby anymore, but not quite a toddler...  She has become much more mobile these past two months, and although she doesn't exactly crawl in the traditional sense...she gets around quite quickly these days by scooting herself with her left leg and dragging the right behind her - it requires no tummy time action whatsoever. :)  Dora the Explorer loves to investigate cupboards in the kitchen, doorstops in every room, and the books at the bottom of the bookshelf.  She will occasionally pull herself up on something, but isn't too interested in walking lately.  We acquired a little play mat recently, as you can see from the picture above, and she has been busying herself attempting to climb the stairs - going down is a bit harder, but she can manage to bump her way down from time to time if we sit her up on the stairs.

Dora the Explorer checking out the kitchen

Tearing up tissue - is that a Daddy look or what??

A little climbing

Peeking into the backyard

A new shyness has been emerging - she will often bury her head in mom's neck if a stranger approaches.  Once she gets used to you, however, she can be very sweet and vocal!  She started saying words at 10 months, starting with "mama" (whiny voice), then "dada" (excited voice!), then "bye bye", then "na" (grandma came to visit!), and "ba" (ball), "ba" (book), and "uck" (truck).  It's exciting to hear the beginnings of what I'm sure will be a LOT of chattering.

Bath time!

What?

My favorite perch!

Peekaboo at the airport

Excited face!

Visiting with Grandma Hays

Can't not love this picture :)

Balloon fun

Some fun things about these two months include:

• Finally figured out she can move from room to room - separation anxiety immediately became SO much better!
• After a period of biting when she was giving us kisses, she's figured out what it means to kiss sweetly, and will usually give kisses out when prompted.
• Starting to like stuffed animals - her two teddy bears get LOTS of hugs and attention.
• Pointing at things to get our attention and looking where we're pointing.
• Increased interest in all of her toys - filling her dump truck with blocks and transporting them, looking through books on her own, trying to use her shape sorter (I still have line the piece up for her and she pushes it in).
• Starting to use objects correctly - like "combing" her hair with the comb.
• Playing sweetly with little friends - she enjoys church nursery so much more now and will play and give hugs to our neighbor friend.
• Enjoying music more than ever - whenever I put her CD on, she claps and waves her hands, bounces on her bottom, and smiles big.

Clapping

Peekaboo!

Love my Grandma!

After mauling her bear

My friend Aaron

We had fun celebrating Jackie's birthday today by going out to lunch with friends after church.  She shares her birthday with our friend Donald.

Birthday pic with mommy

Having fun as a family 

Yummy Mediterranean food for lunch

Donald blowing out the candles for the two of them

Birthday kids! (somebody smeared food everywhere and had to strip...thankfully it wasn't Donald!)

We are so grateful for all the support we've received from each one of you this year!  Thanks for being involved in our lives!  Enjoy these pictures from Jackie's cake smash. :)

Birthday girl!

Feeling shy

Ready to eat!

The prize!

This looks good!

My work here is done...

Happy birthday, sweet girl!